How to Heat a Woodworking Shop

A wood stove is the most sensible way to heat a woodworking shop.

Given the nature of what you are doing in a woodworking shop, the cheapest and easiest way to heat it is with wood. You can stay warm and use up scrap wood at the same time. Unless you do a lot of woodworking, however, the scrap wood alone won't be enough to heat your shop. Acquire good dry firewood as well.

Things You'll Need

• Wood stove
• Firewood
• Insulated silver stove pipe
• Single walled black stove pipe
• Propane heater
• Propane tank
• Copper pipe

Instructions

Use a Wood Stove

1. Install a wood stove in your shop either by using an existing hearth and chimney or by installing these along with the wood stove. A chimney can be built of brick or stone with a stainless steel chimney liner, or more simply by installing silver insulated chimney pipe.

2. Connect the wood stove to the insulated silver pipe using black single walled stove pipe. Be sure to keep the black pipe away from the wall or any flammable materials, as it can get nearly as hot as the stove itself.

3. Use scrap wood either as kindling or as a primary wood source if you create enough of it. If you need to purchase additional firewood, be sure it has been air dried for at least a year before burning. This maximizes its heating efficiency.

4. Insulate your woodworking shop effectively. If your shop is in a previously uninsulated garage or shed, install fiberglass or mineral wool batts between the studs, then and put drywall over them. Insulate above the ceiling with loose cellulose insulation. Replace leaky or inefficient windows with tight thermopane windows for major energy savings.

Heat With Propane

1. Install a propane space heater to help keep your shop warm. Connect it to a propane tank located outside of the shop space for safety.

2. Set the propane heater to come on whenever a minimum temperature is reached. This prevents freezing in the shop even when you are not present.

3. Follow the same insulation guidelines as for the wood stove to maximize the heating benefit.

4. Install the propane heater in a location that will not subject it to excessive dust. A wall mounted propane heater can be installed on an outside wall with the propane pipe running through the wall to the tank.

References

• Wood Web: Woodshop Heating Options
• Workbench Magazine: Cool Options For Workshop Heating